Best Friends, Best Enemies
September 19, 2024 by Jane Thornton
Filed under Family Focus
We tortured him. I should be ashamed. Yet, when those memories hit, a nostalgic, perhaps mischievous, smile creeps onto my face. As I reminisce over common stories with friends, I do believe a tinge of pride enters my voice. We traveled across the country in our Dodge wagon, two kids in the back seat, two lying on top of the luggage in the bicky-back. We knew better than to hit. Hitting could result in an immediate swerve to the roadside and a paddling. So we pointed. Our victim—Wade, the youngest, of course. Our best intimidating stares accompanied the pointing fingers.
Dark Tunnels
September 9, 2024 by Marty Norman
Filed under Family Focus
By Marty Norman
Last Easter I attended my first Good Friday “Tenebrae” at a local Bible Church. What a powerful experience! According to Wikepedia Encyclopedia, “Tenebrae” is a Latin word meaning shadow or darkness. A Christian service in the Western Church, it is celebrated in many traditions from Roman Catholic to Episcopalians to Protestants. Taking different forms, the common denominator involves a gradual extinguishing of candles while readings and psalms are chanted or sung. As the candles are extinguished the auditorium is left in total darkness.
Learning to Live with Less
August 30, 2024 by Khristy Hullet
Filed under Family Focus
By Khristy Hullett
Recently Oprah based a show on learning to live with less. Two families on the show were immersed in their technology. Oprah took away all their gadgets—TVs, phones, computers, and video games—to see how they would fare. One of the families owned 5 TVs, 4 IPODS, and 4 cell phones. Before Oprah’s challenge, they often found themselves watching the same shows in different rooms. The mother frequently texted her daughter while they were in the same house. The families in question were shocked at the results of Oprah’s challenge. They began doing things together as a family again—eating dinner, going for walks, taking cooking lessons. http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090506-tows-live-without
Who Is Packing Your Parachute?
August 10, 2024 by Marty Norman
Filed under Family Focus
By Marty Norman
“ …Guard what has been entrusted to your care.” I Timothy 6:20 NIV
Recently I read a great article about a navy pilot. Shot down over Vietnam, he was forced to eject and parachute right into enemy hands, where he spent five years in an enemy prison camp.
Many years later he met a man at a restaurant who came to shake his hand. This man had been his “parachute packer”. Assigned to the bowels of the ship he carefully and laboriously packed parachutes for those above, those who would be flying on mission, carrying his parachutes as a safety net in times of danger.
The Power of Our Thoughts
July 30, 2024 by admin
Filed under Family Focus
By Norma Vera
While living in Ft.Worth I bought a new black Ford Focus. Then I moved to West Texas where it rains mud, the sun shines with scorching heat, and the wind blows constantly. I found that keeping a black car clean here, is next to impossible. The other day I decided to take it to a car wash, instead of washing it myself. The place where I took it was jammed packed. It was a long wait. My frustration grew as I stared at my wet car sitting in the blistering sun. Other cars that came after me had already come and gone. I begin to think some very unhealthy thoughts. When they finally finished and signaled me to pick it up. I noticed that they did a terrible job. My thoughts were screaming. “You bozos, I could have done a better job myself!” I was boiling mad. When I pointed out all the dried water spots, they took my car and waxed over the dry water stains. Thoughts crossed my mind that are not lawful to speak aloud. I asked them to call the manager.
